Who is funnier? Ricky Gervais vs Larry David

[kyser_soze]

Sorry, I forget you're earnest and see any humour directed at 'vulnerable' members of society as being wrong, regardless of whether the teller and listeners actual opinions on the subject are.

As PJ O'Rourke once said

'A socialist will tell you you can't tell a joke. A liberal will tell you you shouldn't tell a joke. As anyone who's heard the joke about Helen Keller fallng down a well and breaking 4 fingers shouting for help will tell you.'

And what's more ironic is that you refer to 'anti-PC' which, as we all know from the giant threads on the subject that PC DOESN'T EXIST and is AN INVENTION OF THE RIGHT.

 

[andy2002]

I like anti-PC humour if it's genuinely funny and challenging (Jerry Sadowitz springs to mind), I just find Gervais' attempts at the same kind of stuff lazy and predictable (see also Jimmy Carr). I don't even dislike Gervais (The Office is great and parts of Extras were too), there's just something about his stand-up that I don't enjoy. Maybe it's because I sometimes feel his audience aren't laughing at his material but just at the terms he uses ('spastics' etc) like their doing something really naughty and forbidden.

 

[kyser_soze]

AH fair enougjh - thought you were being one of those 'earnest' types for second

*wipes brow*

 

[Belzub]

My views on Ricky Gervais were aired back on the 'comedies you hate that everyone else likes' thread... comedies are supposed to make you laugh, not put your fist in your mouth while making an "NNNNNGGGG" noise.

Seinfeld is brilliant though.

 

[stavros]

Larry wins by a mile. Seinfeld was superb and George, in the most part based on Larry, was the star. It is a crime that it's never been given any kudos in this country especially considering it's the most successful sit-com ever in the States, far outstripping the abysmal Friends which simply watered it down and ripped it off. However CYE is in many ways his masterpiece. I think the improvised element gives it a superb air of unpredictability where there's always a crux to the episode where you realise what the earlier bits were about.

The Office was quite good but very overrated, Extras seemed to me to be him surfing the zeitgeist a bit and his stand-up left a lot to be desired. David of course made his name in a partnership with Jerry Seinfeld but now goes forth alone, whereas you do wonder who does what in the Gervais-Merchant axis.

 

[Pie 1]

Gervais for me.
His XFM show with Pilkington & Merchant has had me howling out loud.

Plus, Flanimals managed to grab the attention of my bi polar best mate during a particuarlly horrific manic episode, for almost 2 days giving us a genuinly needed breather

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I voted Dad's Army because I've never seen anything by the other two, although I have heard of Ricky Gervaise.

 

[Onslow]

Quite. Seeing him in a tuxedo smoking a big fat cigar at an awards show a couple of years ago made me think he was a bit of a typical showbiz twat.

Since he's made it big, coming from a council estate and living on the breadline, i think he's allowed a night off now and again to enjoy his success

If i was in his position i wouldn't be turning up to award shows in a pair of jeans and a vest anyway and on special occasions i do enjoy the odd cigar....does that make someone a twat?

 

[andy2002]

Since he's made it big, coming from a council estate and living on the breadline, i think he's allowed a night off now and again to enjoy his success

If i was in his position i wouldn't be turning up to award shows in a pair of jeans and a vest anyway and on special occasions i do enjoy the odd cigar....does that make someone a twat?

You wouldn't sit there for the entire night with a big fat smug 'Mr Showbiz' smile on your face though, would you?

 

[Onslow]

I doubt anyone could sit there for an entire evening sporting the same expression throughout.

 

[andy2002]

I doubt anyone could sit there for an entire evening sporting the same expression throughout.

Gervais seemed to manage it OK.

 

[oi2002]

I can't recall laughing once at Seinfeld but its very cleverly constructed. Curb Your Enthusiam is funny.

The Office isn't so much funny as beautifully observed and I often think its Merchant laughing at the awfulness of Gervais who is an archetype of home counties crapness. The sad, timid, tedium of English life skillfully explored. Extras was clearly aimed at a wider (American) audience with Gervais playing a slightly nicer version of himself with a backdrop of celeb foils. Both are way out in front of what is a weak field in English Comedy.

Gervais is an embarrisingly bad standup. David is too clever for most audiences. They are rather similar comics whose main gag is saying what is usually only thought and both are strongly anchored in their cultures.

David gets my vote. Bottom line is a being a bald New York Jew is just than being a fat Berkshire bumpkin.

 

[Mrs Bradley]

It's Gervais for me - his comedy is subtle and he doesn't take himself too seriously - unlike Larry David (who whilst I admit I'm not that familiar with) did appear to be lost in his own comedic glow.

I dunno, maybe it's the Brit in me, but some US comedians just give the impression that they are so sodding funny - when really they arn't, they're just annoying.....

rant over

 

[stavros]

I think Larry seems a lot more indebted to British comedy of the past than almost any other American comedian I can think of. CYE throws away the typical American sit-com idea that the characters have to be literally likable people. Seinfeld had this to a certain extent but you did feel like being friends with Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer, whereas the "fictional" Larry has more than a little Fawlty or Partridge in him, a man adrift stuck in a world that doesn't suit him but it impossible to escape from. There are definite parallels between Larry and George but he's been very clever by going to HBO who's lack of adverts allow him to be in total creative control and make this monster who you can't help but side with.

Brent on the other hand didn't seem to possess that degree of sympathy. Tim did seem to have this and I think I'd have liked him to have a more central role.

 

[ChrisFilter]

the clips I saw of Curb Your Enthusiasm last night were a bit shit too. He pretends to be a car salesman and sets off a car alarm, ho ho. Also when they were in conversation he looked very uncomfortable, and wasn't funny again.

Agreed, Gervais everytime.

 

[jodal]

Agreed, Gervais everytime.

Disappointing

 

[Skim]

Why, Larry David, of course.

He's pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty good.

 

[Jo/Joe]

Gervais. The Office reigns supreme. Lots of very subtle observations, character developments and Gareth. No more obvious than any other comedy I don't think. Extras was great in parts, but not overall. The stand up stuff doesn't work because he's inexperienced, but people go because it's Gervais. As for his use of terms like 'spastics', no one else puts disabled characters in their shows, and they are not there to be ridiculed.

While I really enjoy CYE, it's never really anything more than bickering Jewish humour. It doesn't have the range that The Office has IMO.

 

[Farmer Giles]

Dad's Army. I find Seinfeld and CYE painful to watch.

 

[Skim]

Get your Larry David wallpaper here...

 

[mk12]

I voted Gervais, because he has made me cry with laughter, and I haven't seen much Larry David stuff (either seinfeld or CYE).

 

[liberty]

Gervais

 

[jodal]

Well, the results are very close:

41 votes to Larry David
36 votes to Ricky Gervais

so it looks like that we can officially say that...

LARRY DAVID IS FUNNIER THAN RICKY GERVAIS

 

[JoePolitix]

Well, the results are very close:

41 votes to Larry David
36 votes to Ricky Gervais

so it looks like that we can officially say that...

LARRY DAVID IS FUNNIER THAN RICKY GERVAIS

It's such a tough call, I'm gonna have to abstain!

For me "Seinfield" and "The Office" are the joint greatest comedies of all time.

I wasn't so keen on CYE or Extras though I'd have to say I prefer Extras.

Not terribly impressed with Gervais' stand up. Haven't seen David's.

Lets not forget the mighty Jerry Seinfeild and Steve Merchant for their co-writing skills!

 

[stavros]

Seinfeld had episodes that were written by others other than Larry or Jerry too, such as Larry Charles who was a producer on the show. Props have to be given to Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Michael Richards and most of all for me Jason Alexander for their excellent performances. Jerry was in some senses a straight foil for them.

What I like about Larry is the fact that in his CYE persona and Geroge Costanza you have these versions of him and you don't actually know how close they are to reality. This sense of mystery and, in CYE's case, realism makes him a lot more interesting than Gervais who seems a lot more like a traditional comedian with his media personality.

 

[JoePolitix]

Seinfeld had episodes that were written by others other than Larry or Jerry too, such as Larry Charles who was a producer on the show. Props have to be given to Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Michael Richards and most of all for me Jason Alexander for their excellent performances. Jerry was in some senses a straight foil for them.

What I like about Larry is the fact that in his CYE persona and Geroge Costanza you have these versions of him and you don't actually know how close they are to reality. This sense of mystery and, in CYE's case, realism makes him a lot more interesting than Gervais who seems a lot more like a traditional comedian with his media personality.

I reckon theres a thin line between Ricky Gervais and David Brent but admitedly not as thin as the line between between Larry David and "Larry David".

My problem with CYE is that often it just feels like watching a bad play. Also I find the formula gets a bit monotonous - everyone yelling at everyone else for 20 minutes.

 

[stavros]

Really? The only consistent yeller that I've noticed is Suzi, Jeff's wife, who isn't in it that often. Jeff and Cheryl, the other two regulars, are incredibly tolerable and non-yelling, which is part of why it works so well.

 

[Belzub]

Looks like Ricky gervais is in the lead